Soaring
- Thread starter wzgrza
- Start date
tlewis95
I drive planes
I got this.
I work/soar out of Beloit, WI (44C) the glider rents for $40 an hour (15 minute minimum) and our instructors are $45 an hour.
We are a commercial FBO operation, so rates may be a little bit different if you are looking into the more popular "soaring club."
I have been soaring longer than I have been flying airplanes. Soloed on my 14th birthday, and got the PPL/G on my 16th birthday. My dad is a CFIG and competition pilot, and had two gliders by the time that I soloed, so for most of my flying, I flew one of his racing models, and started to fly cross country. (see my avatar)
You can rent the gliders for as long as you want as soon as you get your license, my record duration is 6 hours and 15 minutes. :buck:
Now, I fly a few races a year in the glider in my avatar (my dad's Genesis 2) and am trying for a spot on the 2010 World Team to race in Germany for a few weeks.
You probably already know this site - www.ssa.org - but I will give it too you anyway. They can answer a lot of your questions too.
Anything else just let me know!
Douglas
Old School KSUX
Thanks for the replies.
How long does it take typically to be able to rent one and fly around solo?
I have my IR ME Comm. etc.
Reason I ask is because my biggest issue is money. But I have been thinking about it for a long time now, that it would be a blast. Some real natural flying. How much does it typically cost total to finish up? 50$ an hour isnt that bad. Beats renting powered airplanes for around 120 give or take a few, not to mention it's probably more fun.
How long does it take typically to be able to rent one and fly around solo?
I have my IR ME Comm. etc.
Reason I ask is because my biggest issue is money. But I have been thinking about it for a long time now, that it would be a blast. Some real natural flying. How much does it typically cost total to finish up? 50$ an hour isnt that bad. Beats renting powered airplanes for around 120 give or take a few, not to mention it's probably more fun.
tlewis95
I drive planes
If you are a transition/add-on pilot, 10 or 15 flights might be all that it takes to get to the solo stage, then maybe 15 or 20 more to get the license.
They are great for total time building. I can stay up for 6 hours off of a $20 tow, that makes for some nice cheap flying. If you fly 50nm away and landout, after staying up for 6 hours, you have PIC cross country. =]
Where are you thinking about doing your flying?
Cessna414JJB
Unknown Member
Very nicely put! The 6 hours goes well if capable of locating and taking advantage of the thermals.
I hear not everyone flies by the seat of their pants enough to do that. I flew gliders in Germany from 14-17 before being "sucked" into "stinky" planes. Miss it a lot, but here in the states it seems to be quite exotic, unless you get your own glider with an engine attached. Your avatar alone is reason enough to get back into it. Is that thing aerobatic too?
tlewis95
I drive planes
Very nicely put! The 6 hours goes well if capable of locating and taking advantage of the thermals.
Cool!
Germany is of course soaring Mecca, and I really hope I get to go fly there in 2010.
We actually have very few "self-launch" sailplanes here in the states. Just about any glider currently in production does have either a full blown self launch or "sustainer" (just enough to get you home) as an option.
The "Genesis" in my avatar is an exotic design in itself, it is experimental and not approved for aerobatics, but people have looped and rolled them, and my dad accidentally did a tailslide in it once. (but that's a whole story in itself)
Some more pics for you. =]
Genesis cockpit
On the ground
My dad's other lesser performing and less sexy glider (Blanik L-33)
More conventional in shape too. This is in a field near Elmira, NY btw. :whatever:
Typical trainer (Schweizer 2-33)
youngflyer
Well-Known Member
Harris Hill? I want to learn how to fly gliders there this summer..
tlewis95
I drive planes
Yep, just across the valley from there. I could actually see the place from the hill that I ended up on.
I will be flying there in the last 2 weeks of July for the 2009 Nationals if you want to come see what soaring is all about. There should be 60 or 70 gliders from around the country out there.
Cessna414JJB
Unknown Member
Very nice pics! My favorites used to be the Schleicher KA7 and KA13 (great trainers) and of course the KA6. I miss the sound of air and looking at a little cotton string attached to the windshield to check the quality of turns and I most definately miss the "spoilers" saving one from the ever embarrassing high final. Just about 100 hours of flight time, with hundreds of winchtows and plane tows, before my glider logbook was lost. Today I could use it the boost in total time :whatever:.
Some day again. Here is a nice video of glider aerobatics, the towplane is a Morane MS893 which I have never been able to find in the U.S. It's an awesome towplane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev7xNHlvdMs
and another one... MDM Fox in Germany:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUo6YKw6UJQ&feature=PlayList&p=2E129333152F4EBA&playnext=1&index=50
Some day again. Here is a nice video of glider aerobatics, the towplane is a Morane MS893 which I have never been able to find in the U.S. It's an awesome towplane:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ev7xNHlvdMs
and another one... MDM Fox in Germany:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CUo6YKw6UJQ&feature=PlayList&p=2E129333152F4EBA&playnext=1&index=50
tlewis95
I drive planes
The only KAx I have flown is the KA2, and that was definatly a treat.
Cool videos!
Here are some of my favorites
Me and the Genesis lauching in Ohio
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Acro
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Landouts can be fun!
[YT]jKlN2VVU3HU[/YT]
Once you have your glider rating, your flight costs are relatively low compared to powered airplane costs.
During training however, the bulk of your costs will be hookup and towing fees. The act of hooking your glider up to the tow plane incurs a fixed cost, every 1000 ft of tow you take with the towplane costs some more. Part of your training before soloing is some pattern tows, so during that time period, your glider training costs will probably equal training costs in a single engine piston.
But if you are already a certificated pilot, I think once you get used to the aircraft and the instructor thinks you're comfortable with the normal stuff (stalls, straight and level, ) and you've picked up the glider specific stuff (aerotow, boxing, emergencies) then it's pretty quick to solo.
I got into aviation with gliders first - had no intention of flying anything with an engine - and somehow I find myself an airline pilot now...
My first solo in a glider was also my first emergency, the towplane burst into flames on the climb out and left me holding the tow cable at 200ft as he dove back for the field.
tlewis95
I drive planes
Well looking back in my logbook, I had 6.1 hours total (zero airplane time - all glider.) It was my 16th flight, when I launched on my first solo. I had the usual excitement and anxiety that normally accompanies such events, and the usual determination not to muck it up.
I said 200ft out loud - then I found myself holding on to my end of the tow rope - I thought I had a rope break so I did the rope break procedure - pushed over for airspeed and did the 180 turn to land downwind. It was only after I landed when I realized that the towplane caught fire (when it landed right after I landed.) I ditched the towrope in the turn and thankfully it released - I don't know if it would have snagged on anything if it wouldn't release. So thankfully no one was hurt.
Nihon_Ni
Well-Known Member
I had a similar situation--I had CPL ASMEL, CFI, CFII, MEI when I started. It took me 4 days and about 5 hrs of flight time to get my glider add-on. Plan on about 15-20 flights to get to the solo stage, then the number of solos you need afterward depends on the level of certificate you're after. I decided a sport rating was enough, so I just made 3 solo flights. The private level requires 10 and commercial requires 20. After that it's just an oral & check ride.
For me the pre-solo landing pattern practice was the most costly hour of flight training in my log book. Each tow to pattern altitude was $29, the glider rented for $35 and the CFI was $60. A traffic pattern flight only lasts .1 hrs. By the time yo get 10 landings (no such thing as a touch & go in a glider) it starts to add up: $290 for tows + $35 + $60. Yikes! Fortunately, now when I go flying if I can stay up for an hour it's the same price as renting a C-172 at my club. I can often stay up several hours with a single tow to 1000 ft.
I highly recommend gliders to anyone. It's real stick and rudder flying and will open a whole new dimension of flight to you.
SuperCubRick
Well-Known Member
Great thread with some good information, I'd really like to get my glider rating at some point, have never flown one. That must be a very peaceful way to fly.
My grandad was big into soaring, he still holds the altitude record in Ga. It was set in '43 in a Minimoa over Candler field (now Atlanta Hartsfield). Has an interesting story to go along with it
"Riding a storm as big as this one, with only a bank and turn and compass to rely on is simply foolishness. I found out the next day that crops where the storm passed over were damaged by hail, and I knew that when I encountered such heavy rain at the start I was in for a dandy ride, but there was nothing I could do about it."
http://www.soar-mgsa.org/GeorgiaHOF/Hallofame/Shelly%20Page.htm
No one has been crazy enough to fly up into a thunderstorm to break it,:laff:
BTW, TLewis, I'm jealous!
My grandad was big into soaring, he still holds the altitude record in Ga. It was set in '43 in a Minimoa over Candler field (now Atlanta Hartsfield). Has an interesting story to go along with it
"Riding a storm as big as this one, with only a bank and turn and compass to rely on is simply foolishness. I found out the next day that crops where the storm passed over were damaged by hail, and I knew that when I encountered such heavy rain at the start I was in for a dandy ride, but there was nothing I could do about it."
http://www.soar-mgsa.org/GeorgiaHOF/Hallofame/Shelly%20Page.htm
No one has been crazy enough to fly up into a thunderstorm to break it,:laff:
BTW, TLewis, I'm jealous!
tlewis95
I drive planes
Cool!
I think the Minimoa is another one of the coolest looking gliders ever btw.
I am not to sure that I would want to fly into a storm with one though...
The closest that I have come was circling up, in the rain...
I don't know how that works, but it was cool.
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I am pretty sure that the Genesis is about indestructible though. This is a video taken at a race in Ohio a few years ago, that I got from another angle (I wish I could find it) of a friend of mine landing his Genesis in a storm.
No damage at all. My dad was up in his Genesis while all of this was going on, and hit some wicked turbulence that did a little bit of damage to him and the glider.
anic:I definitely always feel safer flying in a glider than an airplane, just because of how crash worthy they are.
Cessnaflyer
Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Wow that would be a wild ride!
gliderboy
Well-Known Member
Aside from all the good stuff mentioned above, you can use 150 glider hours towards the commercial power rating, saving yourself 10~15K in rental fees, you'll develop very good stick and rudder skills, and if the engines of your Airbus (or whatever power plane you end up flying) ever stop making noise shortly after take off — or any other time, for that matter -- you'll be really, really glad that you know how to fly a glider. And hey, you may even become a national hero!
